M.O.T.
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As a Wrexham fan Iâm inevitably going to get twitchy when someone from the Nottingham area posts 
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ok, looks like we are determined to make a hard job of things (again) with our keeper (rightly) being sent off. We were looking a bit brighter up to that point but second half will be all hands to the pump & just pray for no more stupidity.
âŚand will definitely settle for the point!
A cagey match this afternoon at the Hawthorns, with both sides probing for openings, rather than all out attack.
The Mighty Whites seemed a bit more composed in defence today, and Wee Willie Gnonto put himself about tirelessly, all afternoon.
Not much to say then, about the play, but yon Leeds yellow smiley face kit donât half look the dogâs dangly bits. 
M.O.T.
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As a big fan of clean sheets and given that we lost at the Hawthornes in 23 Iâm happy with that but the lack of threat (2defensive mids, Piroe at 10 & Jospeh at 9 is not threat) is clear to see & needs to be addressed. WBA donât play attractive football, they are one of the most successful teams playing at home. Onward and upward (hopefully).
I notice the Luton goalie was booked for time wasting early on in the game. A second yellow then saw him dismissed. Well done ref.
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Nottingham @mikehughescq ? Only moved here 6 months ago. My allegiance is to the Manchester team Mickey Thomas had the good sense to join!
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Typical day at Carrow Road where having fought our way back to 2-1 we jog around and allow an 87th minute equaliser.
We were promised youth and next outing I hope that means Warner for Duffy.
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I was at the game, @PaulM. Luton should have taken the lead in the first 15 minutes, but for our keeper. Thought Luton looked a solid, well organised and physically powerful side. I would have been happy with a point before the game and at the end of it still felt a draw was a fair result. Great atmosphere created by both sets of fans.
Similar problem for both south coast sides. Neither could beat ten men.
Was that good sense? Tipped him over the edge close to alcoholism. Seems to have had that effect on a fair few of their players. Still, so long as youâre not a Notts County fan
Early days. No-one playing flat out and match fit yet but Eustace is a decent manager and, despite the loss of players, I suspect this will look a good result for you by the end of the season.
I never really get into judgements at this point. How can you tell anything after a couple of games. A statement not a question. Our most famous promotion came in a season in which we didnât win until our 8th game but ended up with our three strikers each scoring 25 goals and going up as champions. I absolutely donât see how anything can be suggested or concluded at this point when a manager is two games into the season. Real change takes much longer.
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Would someone explain match fit to me? Somehow professional footballers in a month off (if that) become hopeless parodies of themselves, presumably drinking themselves silly and loading up on cheeseburgers. All sense of rhythm, timing etc. completely lost??? It takes months???
I was basing my judgment on a season and two games regarding Duffy. He lacks the legs and technical skills for the championship and we have better alternatives.
Iâm not criticising our new coach, Iâm actually in favour of him accelerating his youth policy. It would also help his stated aim in playing out from the back.
Since Farke departed weâve had two seasons of relying on âexperienceâ and weâve made no progress. Last years play off place came by default through Coventryâs cup run. They were the better team who were handicapped by fixture pile up.
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Fair to say a small number of usually high profile players might let themselves go but players nowadays are monitored within an inch of their life. It doesnât make them match fit.
I am supporting a mid table L1 outfit. At the end of last season every player was measured on multiple fronts. Weight being the most obvious but simplistic of those. Heart, lung capacity, sprint speed, eye tests. Unbelievably comprehensive. Theyâre then given devices which measure many of those same things for them throughout the Summer break and all are then measured on their return.
Thatâs brilliant but none of it makes you match fit. Preseason is about levelling up fitness across the squad and sorting match tactics so youâll see lots of sprinting and weights but also lots of games in which the intent is to do no more than give the whole squad an equal number of minutes on the pitch. You might be a nailed on first team starter but over 5 or 6 pre season games you may only play the equivalent of 3 in order to ensure the whole squad is at the same level.
All the pre season work can only prepare you for the lung busting of an actual game; the sudden bursts of energy needed; the turns you make which were unexpected; being caught off balance etc. Only playing in flat out matches gets you up to speed on that.
So, yes, perfectly possibly to have a really fit and season ready match squad but match fitness is entirely different.
Thanks for your views @MDS . I caught the game on TV and thought that it was just a shame that it ended with 11 vs 10; as soon as our keeper was sent off then it changed the game and we were always going to try and contain. I can understand the ref wanting to stamp on any time wasting but I wasnât aware of any of that going on before the booking - no question of the second yellow, Kaminsky was guilty of sticking to his line in the last game and obviously over-corrected in this one! I was happier with the way we were actually able to defend this week and looked a bit more purposeful. Portsmouth were pretty well organised in my view and will settle into the division well. You have some decent players and were just a bit wasteful around our penalty area otherwise you could have been taking all 3 points. Good point about the fans, both sets have been so passionate over the years. Good luck for the season.
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noted Mike and mostly agree, but I still canât understand why fitness and timing supposedly drop off after such little downtime, and why it takes so long to get back up to speed.
Guessing itâs difficult to recreate the intensity of a real game in training, especially the bit where everyoneâs kicking you up in the air or running faster and further than you.
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Watching championship games live on a Saturday and then premier league games on tv Sunday is almost like watching two different sports.
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As a person born in Brighton and growing up with BHA now living in Hamburg and a Sankt Pauli fan, I am really torn about Fabian HĂźrzeler leaving Pauli after leading us to promotion on a limited budget and then leaving us a the altar to move to BHA. But watch this space - he is an amazing manager and the result against Everton shows he looks to continue his success at BHA. Letâs see how he gets on but I would expect him to be one of the best managers in the EPL this year. Presumably he is seen as an unknown or dark horse at the moment.
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Under Marcelo Bielsa, âmurderballâ reputedly came close, in terms of intensity, at least.
How I wish we had him back once again.
M.O.T.
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